Water-heater.



L. D. LOVEKIN.

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. s

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

l l A.

A TTHIYEY.

l UNITED STAT-iis PATENT onirica-.1

LUTHER D. LOVEKIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-HEATER.-

ment. in W ater-Heaters, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart thereof.

The present invention relates to heaters, and particularly to water heaters, and has for its object to provide aheater which maybe compact and simple in construction while at-the same time having a relatively large extent of heating surface and whichmay be easily and cheaply manufactured.-

The invention consists, broadly speaking,

Iin a heater comprising an internal cylindrical membcrformed at lts periphery with one or more spiral grooves and a corresponding' rib for each groove, and an externalhollow member formed with a corresponding spiral groove and rib or grooves and ribs at its inner surface, the internal member being threaded into the external member, -the heater having a heating chamber formed by the space between the internal and external' members. By suitably forming the grooves and ribs of the two members the space between them, wliich should in allcases be shallow to give the best results,'may be made of uniform thickness or may be of varying thickness and .may even be converted f' into a'continuous spiral channel. Any suitable means may be employed for supplying heat to one oitlie other or both of the internal and external members of the heater. For instance, the internalA member may advantageously be made hollow sot-hat a heating fluid may be passed through it. rl`his last mentioned form of heater is particularly adapted for use as a heater in which the heat is derived from the flame of a gas burner.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better under-A standing of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference may be hadto the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which 'I have illustrated and described forms in which the invention may be embodied.

Of the drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of one formof heater. Fig. 2 is a .s l Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 8, 1907,. Serial No. 401,231.

corresponding grooves A and B.

members D and D2 perfectly tight.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

sectional plan taken on'the line 2-'2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken similarly to Fig. l, but showing 'a slightly modified construction. y

In the drawings, and referring first to the construction of .F l and 2, A represents the internal member ofthe heater for heating Water or other fluid. The member A, in the forni shown, consists of a tubular bodyhaving formed in it between its ends the/ external spiral groove A', and a corresponding external rib A2. Preferably, as in the form shown, the wall of the member A is of uniform thickness so that the external groove Aand rib A2 result in a -corresponding internal groove and rib. The external 'member B of the heater is similarly provided' with an internal spiral groove B and corre-v sponding rib B2.' The threads on the two members are-of the same pitch. The meniber E, like the memberA, may well consist as shown, of a s pirally corrugated thin tube of suitable wrought metal. lln the forni shown in Fig. l, the `groove A and ribA2 are so formed relatively to the groove E and rib B2 that the space C between them is of a lthickness which is uniform and materially less than the distance which the ribs A2 and B2 extend beyond the bottoms of the The ends of the tubes A and B are connected lto top and bottom end members D and E. As shown, the end member D is '9,0 flange D to which the upper .end of the member-B is'connected in any suitable inanner, as preferably by internally expanding the latter. The upper end of the memberD is internally threaded to receive a threaded bushing into.which the Aupper end of the member A .is secured, as by internally expanding the latter, and the expansion may well be carried on to such an extent as to expand the member D2 in the member D and 100 thus make the threaded joint D4 between the To improvethe joint betweenthe member A and the bushing'D2 the latter may be formed with grooves D3 into which the material of the member A is ex anded as shown. The heating space C lea s into an annular space or chamber D5 formed in the member D between the flange D. and the nut D2. A 1 threaded outletv port D is foiined on one 119 side of the member D. The member Eis connected to the tubes A and B in the saine manner as the member and the' parts E',

',E2, E3, E", E and E corresponding to parts D', D2, D, D4, D, and D, respectively, ex-

cept that the part EVis in this case the inlet port. The member E is supported on a base member F, and a gas burner G, Wluch may be of any suitable construction, is located in the base member F. By preference, a collar has its lower end conical, and has-at its upper end ribs I which en age' the inner surface of the upper end o the member A to position the retarder, and ears I2 which en# gage the upper end of the member A and thering D2 and thus form a means forsupporting the refractory member I. `A .chim- .ney or `waste gas escape pipe J may be mounted on the upper end of the member D, and preferably the heater is surrounded, by

a jacket .K of suitable heat insulating ina--v terial.

The construction just described possesses the advantage 4 of providing in a compact heater a heating space in which the' water to vbe heated is inv a comparatively thin body and is exposed to a heating surface which is relatively large; while at the same time, the flow of the heating gases through theheater is retarded by the retarder I and the internal grooves and ribsof the tube A. v Moreover,

the retarder serves to sorne extent as a heat storing device eective in reducing the amount of heat carried up through the chimney .I by the hot gases. The tubes A and B lmay be readily and cheaply' formed, .and

may be assembled without difficulty by threading them together. The other-'parts are simple andmay be cheaply constructed, and the entire heater may be constructed and assembled in an accurate and reliable mannerl at a slightexpense. l

The construction shown 1n Fig. 3 difers from that of Fig.k 2 in the fact that' the mem- 'ber L corresponding to the member Bof Fig. 1 is of cast metal and has .formed integrally with it the end portions L3 and L4, ywhich corresjpnd generally to the members D and E, wit the'excepti'on, of course, that there is no joint between the tube L and thel end members. In this construction also, the ends of the tube A are secured to anges AL5 and L formed integrally on the end mem- `bers L8 and L4, and taking the placeof the nuts D2 and D2 in the construction shown in Fig. l. .In this construction also, thewater space between the members A andL is divided into a spiral channel C by the fact vthat the spiral rib LY-carried by the member L is extended to engage with the bottom of Athe groove A in the member A.

The corrugations formed in the walls of thechambe'r containing the Water or other fiuid to be heated permit the walls to contract and expand as their temperature varies Withoutliability of injuring the parts or impairing joints. 1

, While my invention is -well adapted for a gas heated water heater` as shown, which heater may Well be of the instantaneous type, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that my novel container formed' of an externally threaded internal member screwed into an internally threaded external member can be employed in many different relations, and I do not wish the claims made hereinafter to be limitedrto the particular construction disclosed more than is necessary by the -state of the art.

Having now described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A heater comprising an internal member having a spiral rib and a corresponding spiral groove on its outer surface, `and air external member,surrounding the Vinternal member and formed with a spiral rib and correspondingv groove on its internal surface,

with the rib of each member nesting in the groove of.- the. other.

2- A heater comprising an externally threadedinternal member' and an internally threaded external member into which the internal member is screwed, the threads on the Y two members beinglso formed that a heating space is provided etween said members.

3.' A heater comprising an externally threaded internal member and an internally v threaded external member into which the internal member is screwed, the threads on the two members being so formed that a heating space is provided between said members,

and `means connecting said members lto close the ends of said space.

4L. A heater comprising an externally threaded internal member and aninternally threaded external member in t'o which the internal member is screwed, the'threads on the two members being so formed that a heating space is provided between said members,

means connecting said members to closethe ends of said space, and inlet and outlet conduits communicating with opposite ends.

said space at its .5. A heater comprising an externally lthreaded internal member and an internally threaded external member into which the internal member is screwed, the threads on-the two members being so formed that alleating space is provided between said members,

and means' connecting said members to close the ends of said s ace, said internal member being hollow, andp means for heating the interior of said hollow internal member.

6. A heater com rising a vertical hollow externa-llythreaded) internal member and an i internally threaded external memberv into which the'internal member is screwed, the threads on the two members being so formed that a heating space is provided between said members, and means connecting said members to close the ends ofl said space,`a

nelburner located at the lowerend of said vhollow member, and ar retarder centrally disposed inf and'partially llin the upper end of said hollow internal Ilnenier.-

-7. A- luid heater comprising a spirally corrugated hollow internalmember andan nternall7 threaded externalv member into which sald internal member is threaded, the v members being spacedn apart to form between them 'a passage for Ythe' fluid to be, or causing a heating heated, and means fluid to flow throu h-saidhollow member.

LU HER D. LOVEKIN-- 

